Q: Ira, on a scale of 1 to 10, where would you put the urgency for the Heat in Game 6? – Andy.
A: Urgency? I would put that at a 10. How can any team at this point of the season come out with anything short of ultimate urgency? Now, when you consider the stakes, I would put it at a 10 for the Knicks, because there would be no tomorrows with a loss. But for the Heat, there at least would be another chance in a Monday night Game 7 if needed. That said, the last thing any team that held a 3-1 lead would want is a Game 7 on the opponent’s home court, after two days of marinating in the wake of a Game 6 loss. So I would put the Heat’s desperation at either an eight or a nine. This is their chance, and has been their best chance since moving to that 3-1 lead. At 4-0 at home this postseason, an entire season has led to this moment, the type of moment the Heat were unable to capitalize on in Game 7 of last season’s Eastern Conference finals against the visiting Celtics. This is their moment. Monday might well be a Knicks moment, a moment the Heat can prevent from happening.
Q: Been a Heat fan for 25-plus years, so I’ve seen some crazy stuff in Heat-Knicks playoff series. Best to focus and get this thing over at all costs on Friday. – Douglas.
A: Exactly. Leave nothing to chance. And even with another potential chance on Monday, don’t tempt The Fates, considering The Fates have not always been kind to the Heat in the rivalry with the Knicks over the years. Don’t worry about leaving anything in the tank. That tank can be replenished with the two days off that follow.
Q: With Tyler Herro out, there should not be any time when both Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler are both on the bench together. The initial run by the Knicks in Game 5 happened at the beginning of the second quarter when they were both sitting. – Joel.
A: But it also was a formula, of five reserves on the floor, that worked at the starts of the second quarters the previous two games. But I do believe that the approach will be altered in Game 6. Not only because of the stakes, but also because there would be a two-day break before a potential Game 7 on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. The key for the Heat, if that approach is adopted by Erik Spoelstra, would be for his starters to stay out of foul trouble.